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Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Iran 'frees' diplomat in Pakistan


Iran says its agents have in a cross-border operation freed a diplomat kidnapped in Pakistan last November.
"The Iranian intelligence agents, in a successful operation, brought home the Iranian diplomat who was abducted in Peshawar, Pakistan," Heydar Moslehi, the Iranian intelligence minister, told reporters on Tuesday. Gunmen had snatched Heshmatollah Attarzadeh on November 13, 2008 in Peshawar, northwest Pakistan. He was on his way to work in the commercial service of Iran's consulate in the city when his car was sprayed with bullets and his local guard killed.

Pakistan Asks Swiss for Zardari Probe

 Pakistan's anticorruption agency on Wednesday asked Swiss authorities to reopen a graft investigation of President Asif Ali Zardari on the orders of the country's top judge. The move ratchets up the battle between Mr. Zardari and Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, whose court in December overturned a 2007 amnesty that shielded the president and thousands of other politicians from corruption investigations. Geneva's public prosecutor Daniel Zappelli said Wednesday that Swiss authorities hadn't yet received the Pakistani request, adding that he couldn't reopen the case against Mr. Zardari because he enjoys immunity as a head of state, the Associated Press reported. Mr. Zardari spent 11 years in prison in Pakistan on corruption allegations, but he hasn't been convicted in a Pakistani court. He has consistently denied allegations. In 2003, a court in Geneva found Mr. Zardari and his wife, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, guilty of laundering kickbacks from a Swiss company, but the verdict was overturned on appeal. A subsequent Swiss investigation into the allegations was dropped in 2008 at the request of Pakistan, following the amnesty decree. But since Pakistan's Supreme Court struck down the decree in December, it has been pressing Pakistan's National Accountability Bureau anticorruption agency to revive case files of the thousands of politicians and former officials who had been shielded by the amnesty. Mr. Chaudhry on Tuesday gave agency Chairman Naveed Ahsan 24 hours to reopen the case against Mr. Zardari or face jail. Mr. Ahsan said on Wednesday he had sent a letter to Swiss authorities asking for the reopening of the investigation of money-laundering allegations against Mr. Zardari.

Miami: Federer suffers surprise defeat


The Swiss top seed Roger Federer suffered upset defeat to Czech Tomas Berdych in the fourth round of the Open in Miami. Fourth seed Rafael Nadal beat fellow Spaniard and 15th seed David Ferrer 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 to qualify for the quarter final. Federer was beaten after a tight battle 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (8-6). American star Andy Roddick has qualified for the quarter finals, he fought back from 4-1 down to defeat Germany's Benjamin Becker 7-6 (7-4) 6-3. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who trounced Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain 6-2 6-2. Robin Soderling of Sweden progressed with a 6-0 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 victory over Chile's Fernando Gonzalez, while Mardy Fish of the U.S. was forced to retire while trailing 6-1 1-0 against 13th seed Mikhail Youzhny. In the women's tournament, Venus Williams advanced to the semi-finals with a 6-3 6-1 victory over Agnieszka Radwanska. She will face France's former Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli, who beat Yanina Wickmayer 6-4, 7-5.

Chechen rebel claims Moscow attacks


Doku Umarov, a Chechen separatist leader, has claimed responsibility for the suicide bombings in the Moscow metro that killed at least 39 people on Monday, according to a video posted on an unofficial rebel website. Umarov, who styles himself as the "Emir of the Caucasus Emirate", said in the video, posted onwww.kavkazcenter.com on Wednesday, that he had personally ordered the attacks and that they would continue. In February, Umarov claimed responsibility for the bombing of a passenger train travelling between Moscow and St Petersburg in November, warning that "the war is coming to their cities" and that "the zone of military operations will be extended to the territory of Russia". Russian officials have blamed Muslim separatist fighters from the North Caucasus for the Moscow attacks, the deadliest in Russia's capital for six years.

Why the Bombings Weren't Breaking News in Russia


The news of the subway suicide bombings in Moscow on Monday — Russia's worst terrorist attack in five years — led news broadcasts around the world almost immediately after the event unfolded. But in Russia, viewers who tuned in to the country's three main television networks that morning had little reason to suspect anything was amiss — they were watching shows about cooking and makeovers. The networks, all of which are controlled by the government or state-owned companies, stayed with their regularly scheduled programming as the tragedy unfolded, waiting for up to two hours to provide their first substantive reports on the attacks, which killed at least 39 people. Bloggers and political commentators say the slow response of the networks — Channel One, Rossia 1 and NTV — is indicative of the state of television journalism in Russia today: the major broadcasters have been so cowed by the Kremlin over the past decade, they're incapable of effectively covering events of vital national importance. "This is a city with millions of people," says Arina Borodina, a television critic with the independent-minded Kommersantnewspaper in Moscow. "Can you imagine an attack during rush hour in New York or Paris, and a television channel doesn't show anything for two hours?"

Monday, March 29, 2010

Courting Pakistan


The United States and Pakistan is the world's oddest couple, with an on-again, off-again friendship that has survived since the 1950s. Last week both sides completed a "strategic dialogue" in Washington amid fears that they were headed for another break-up. Those fears can only be countered if both the U.S. and Pakistan keep the larger goal in mind: the development of a stable, secure and prosperous Pakistan. Last week's dialogue reiterated common goals on some key issues, including energy, infrastructure, agriculture and trade. But the hard issues—the Afghan Taliban operating inside Pakistani space, the Pakistan-India conflict over Kashmir, and Islamabad's wish for a civil nuclear deal similar to the one given to India—were politely avoided in public commentary. Part of the problem is Pakistan's wariness of U.S. intentions. As the late Pakistani dictator General Zial ul Haq once explained to his ambassador in Washington, Jamsheed Marker: "Being friends with the United States is like living on the banks of a great river. Every four years it changes course, and leaves you either flooded, or high and dry!" The U.S. showers aid and attention on Pakistan when it suits its strategic interests in the region and then leaves. Pakistan meanwhile seeks security against a larger and potentially hostile neighbor to the east: India. Each pretends to meet the other's needs while papering over differences. The U.S., on its part, sees a deceptive ally in Pakistan; one which seeks aid to use it for defense against India while pretending to meet U.S. regional aims. The Obama administration is attempting to craft a new, longer-term relationship with Pakistan, and American officials travel frequently to the country and return praising the relationship effusively. But it is hard to distinguish their attempts to proclaim success for their individual missions from the reality on the ground. The passage of the Kerry-Lugar Bill that promises at least $7 billion of aid to Pakistan over five years should have been a good omen, but Pakistani military and public opposition to the bill has put a crimp in the relationship, adding to the public perception of the U.S. as an intrusive and overbearing friend. The army high command, confident after its recent successes against its internal militancy and buoyed by public approval of its actions, recently revived the dialogue with the U.S. on its terms. Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani chose to focus on high visibility, high impact projects that would meet the country's urgent energy and infrastructure needs, rather than dissipating its effect on a wide range of softer social sector projects with longer gestation periods.

Israel's Netanyahu downplays tensions with US


Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu has moved to ease tensions with the US, describing the two countries' relations as those of "allies and friends". Mr Netanyahu also dismissed reports one of his confidants called US President Barack Obama a "disaster" for Israel. The US has criticised the building of Jewish homes in East Jerusalem, which prompted the Palestinians to pull out of US-brokered indirect peace talks. The row has caused one of the worst crises in US-Israeli ties for decades. It has also led to increased tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas ruling out talks with Israel unless it halts the construction of settlements in occupied territory. Some leaders at an Arab League summit in Libya echoed Mr Abbas's position in a statement on Sunday, saying negotiations could not resume unless Israel stopped all settlement building.

Obama makes 'surprise' Kabul visit


Barack Obama, the US president, has called on his Afghan counterpart, Hamid Karzai, to crack down on corruption in an effort to promote the rule of law in the country. Obama met Karzai on Sunday in Kabul shortly after arriving at the Afghan capital from the nearby Bagram airbase on a previously unannounced visit to the country. On his arrival, Obama was greeted by General Stanley McChrystal, the US commander on the ground in Afghanistan, and Karl Eikenberry, the US ambassador. Obama praised Karzai for making progress in Afghanistan, in the military campaign against Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters as well in access to improved services to Afghans. "The American people are encouraged by the progress that has been made," he said. But he also urged Karzai to "continue to make progress" on good governance, the fight against corruption and the rule of law. Karzai thanked Obama for US support and said he hopes the partnership would continue between the two countries. The White House said later that Karzai will come to Washington on May 12 for more talks.

DR Congo massacre uncovered


The Lord's Resistance Army killed about 300 people and kidnapped 250 more in a rampage in the Democratic Republic of Congo in December 2009, according to an international rights group and the UN. The previously undocumented massacre, undertaken over four-days in the remote Makombo area of DRC's northeastern Haute Uele district, was highlighted in reports by Human Rights Watch and the UN on Sunday. The killings of 321 civilians occurred between December 14 and 17, HRW said in a report after documenting the deaths in a visit to the region in February. The Ugandan anti-government group were said to have abducted 80 children among the 250 people kidnapped. "The Makombo massacre is one of the worst ever committed by the LRA in its bloody 23-year history, yet it has gone unreported for months," Anneke Van Woudenberg, HRW's senior Africa researcher, said.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Israeli terrorism


The UK has expelled Mossad’s chief agent in London for “intolerable” use of British passports in the recent Dubai assassination of a Hamas leader and a “profound disregard” for the UK and its sovereignty. Of course, the Zionist-run state of Israel has ‘profound disregard’ for the sovereignty of many countries, e.g. Ireland, France, Germany and Australia (whose passports it has forged for terrorist purposes on a regular basis). It does not respect the sovereignty of Arab countries whose territory it continues to illegally occupy — Palestine, Lebanon, Syria. It does not respect countries it has attacked and militarily occupied in the past and countries against which it has perpetrated genocide (Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan) and the countries whose sovereignty it threatens to violate at any time of its own choosing — Iran, Australia and, indeed, almost every other country on earth. Documented details of 50 areas of concern in relation to gross Israeli violation of the sovereignty and laws of Australia have been sent to the Australian Federal Police, Australian MPs and the Australian media but the silence is deafening.

India successfully test-fires ballistic missiles


India successfully test-fired two types of short-range ballistic missiles on Saturday. According to Defence sources, the missile was fired from INS-Subhadra in the Bay of Bengal near Puri by Indian Navy personnel as part of training exercise. The 350-km range nuclear-capable 'Dhanush' missile is a naval version of 'Prithvi'. The sophisticated radar systems located along the coast monitored the entire trajectory of the vehicle.

Israel condemned at Arab summit


Regional leaders meeting in Libya have been united in their condemnation of Israel's settlement activity in occupied Palestinian land. The Arab League summit began on Saturday in the Libyan city of Sirte, with Amr Moussa, the Arab League chief, warning that continued Israeli settlement building would end efforts to revive the Middle East peace process. "We have to study the possibility that the peace process will be a complete failure," Moussa said in his opening speech to the two-day annual summit. "It's time to face Israel ... We have accepted an open-ended peace process but that resulted in a loss of time and we did not achieve anything and allowed Israel to practise its policy for 20 years." Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as a joint capital for a future state, has been a particular point of focus for delegates.

Agencies Suspect Iran Is Planning New Atomic Sites

Iran's nuclear program is one of the most polarizing issues in one of the world's most volatile regions. While American and European officials believe Tehran is planning to build nuclear weapons, Iran's leadership says that its goal in developing a nuclear program is to generate electricity without dipping into the oil supply it prefers to sell abroad, and to provide fuel for medical reactors. Six months after the revelation of a secret nuclear enrichment site in Iran, international inspectors and Western intelligence agencies say they suspect that Tehran is preparing to build more sites in defiance of United Nations demands. The United Nations inspectors assigned to monitor Iran’s nuclear program are now searching for evidence of two such sites, prompted by recent comments by a top Iranian official that drew little attention in the West, and are looking into a mystery about the whereabouts of recently manufactured uranium enrichment equipment. In an interview with the Iranian Student News Agency, the official, Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had ordered work to begin soon on two new plants. The plants, he said, “will be built inside mountains,” presumably to protect them from attacks.

Iraq coalition talks 'open to all' - Iyad Allawi


The leader of the secular alliance that narrowly won Iraq's parliamentary election has offered to work with all parties to form a coalition government. Iyad Allawi said his Iraqiya bloc would start by talking with the rival State of Law alliance of Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, which it beat by two seats. Mr Maliki has refused to accept the result and said he would challenge the count through the courts. Both the UN and US envoys to Iraq have said the 7 March poll was credible.There is concern that a challenge to the result could be lengthy and divisive, endangering progress towards greater stability. Sectarian violence erupted in Iraq as politicians took months to form a government after the last parliamentary election in 2005. Police on Saturday raised the death toll to at least 52 from twin bombings a day earlier near a restaurant in the town of Khalis, 80km (50 miles) north of Baghdad. More than 70 people were injured in the blasts.

US drone strikes kill four militants in North Waziristan


Suspected US drones fired missiles at a militant hide-out in Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal region, killing at least four insurgents. According to sources, In the attack, the drones fired two missiles and flattened a nearby house near Mirali, one of the main town in North Waziristan, killing four militants. The houses targeted belonged to Omer Khan and Mulvi Zakir. Officials say some of the men slain in attack were believed to be foreigners.  Several planes overflew the area after the attacks.

Israelis divided over settlements?


In recent weeks, the relationship between Israel and the US has grown tense as the White House continues to demand a freeze on illegal settlement growth in the West Bank despite adamant refusal from Binyamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, to do so. For Israelis the row was embarrassing, but hardly a surprise. To a people already sharply divided over settlements and their place in the peace process, the feud was seen to mirror Israeli society's inner conflicts. Noga Martin, a former Israeli journalist, says that she hopes to see Palestinians form an independent state. But for this to happen, she says, "illegal outposts have to go". "They [illegal outposts] strike me as a completely unnecessary provocation that only throws fuel on the fire," Martin says. "I have no personal hatred toward the settlers," she adds, "except for the ones who act violently." During the annual olive harvest, settlers sometimes attack Palestinian farmers and set fire to their groves. In Hebron, a Muslim-majority city in the West Bank with a small Jewish presence, tensions flare on a regular basis - with settlers throwing stones, garbage, wine, and bottles of urine at Palestinians. Many observers also point to the presence of the Israeli military in the settlements as a measure which emboldens settlers.

Landmarks go dark, millions unplug for Earth Hour


The white-shelled roof of the Sydney Opera House fell dark Saturday night, one of the first landmarks to turn out the lights in an hour-long gesture to be repeated by millions of people around the world who are calling for a binding pact to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Asian cities followed Australia and New Zealand as the fourth annual Earth Hour cranked up. Buildings in some 4,000 cities in more than 120 countries were expected to unplug to reduce energy consumption and draw attention to the dangers of climate change, according to organizers. The event will roll across the world, with participants turning off the lights when the clock strikes 8:30 p.m. local time. From a shopping mall in Manila to the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Empire State Building in New York, landmarks and skylines will dim. "We have everyone from Casablanca to the safari camps of Namibia and Tanzania taking part," said Greg Bourne, CEO of World Wildlife Fund in Australia, the environmental group that came up with the idea that started in Sydney in 2007 and has since grown to every continent. The shutdown is completely voluntary and street lights, traffic lights and other safety measures are unaffected.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Israel approves new building in east Jerusalem


The Jerusalem municipality has approved 20 new apartments for Jews in an Arab neighborhood of east Jerusalem, the city said Wednesday, in a move that could stir a new diplomatic crisis with the United States just as Israel's leader is in Washington on a fence-mending visit. The announcement marked the second time this month that Israel has announced new construction in the disputed section of the holy city during face-to-face meetings between top U.S. and Israeli officials. The Obama administration is seeking "clarification" of the latest building plan and continues to believe Israeli construction in Jerusalem is destructive to the Mideast peace process, said White House spokesman Tommy Vietor. Israeli lawmaker Eitan Cabel accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of unnecessarily provoking the U.S. "Is this another 'unfortunate' mistake? Is this another 'misunderstanding?'" said Cabel, a member of the Labor Party, which sits in the governing coalition. "Netanyahu decided to spit into Obama's eye, this time from up close. He and his pyromaniac ministers insist on setting the Middle East ablaze." On Wednesday evening, Israel's Channel 10 TV reported that an additional 200 apartments were approved last month for private land near the first 20. The report could not be confirmed, and the Jerusalem municipality had no immediate comment.

Saudi arrests over 'terror plot'


Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, has arrested more than 100 people suspected of having links with al-Qaeda, the interior ministry has said. A statement from the ministry on Wednesday said the suspects were plotting attacks on oil and security installations in the kingdom. One cell consisted of 101 people, and two smaller cells were made up of six men each. The large cell comprised 47 Saudis and 51 Yemenis, as well as a Somali, a Bangladeshi and an Eritrean, said the statement read out on state television. The two smaller groups were made up of 11 Saudis and a Yemeni, who security officials described as being a prominent member of al-Qaeda.

Differences remain between Israel and US - White House


Differences remain between Israel and the US, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington, the White House has said. President Obama urged the Israeli PM to take steps to build confidence in the peace process, during "honest" talks on Tuesday, said spokesman Robert Gibbs. Mr Gibbs also said the US was seeking "clarification" of the latest plans to build homes in occupied East Jerusalem. Mr Netanyahu's trip came amid the worst crisis in US-Israeli ties for decades. The Israeli prime minister delayed his departure from Washington on Wednesday to meet the US Middle East peace envoy, George Mitchell. The spat flared two weeks ago when, during a visit by US Vice-President Joe Biden, Israel unveiled plans to build 1,600 homes in part of East Jerusalem, which Washington branded an insult.

Google’s tough call on China

If Google produced iron ore as well as providing an internet search engine, it really would have been conflicted. Even as it was, the decision to “pull out” of China (all the way to Hong Kong) was finely balanced. Google decided that its brand, which depends on its image as a champion of liberalism, was worth more than a slice of China’s still-nascent online advertising market. That judgment became easier as Beijing grew more heavy-handed in policing the internet and as Chinese hackers – with or without the authorities’ blessing – grew more adept at tunnelling into Google’s databases. But Google has hedged its bets. For the moment, it will retain a research and development presence, as well as a sales team, in the mainland. By taking advantage of the “one-country, two-server” system – an unintended relic of British colonialism – it is hoping to have its cookie and eat it too. Chinese users who log on to Google.cn will automatically be diverted to an uncensored site in Hong Kong. Google has thus fulfilled its pledge of “doing no evil”. If Beijing wants to play the baddie by blocking some search results – and earlier this week it was doing so with heavy-booted abandon – so be it.

India: 24 killed many injured in fire


At least 24 people were killed and it was feared that many more people are still missing after a huge fire that engulfed prime commercial building in Kolkata city. The fire gutted one of the oldest buildings in the city, which had many famous shops including a large music store and a popular confectionery. 100 fire fighters along with three dozen fire tender vehicles spent several hours putting out the blaze. The probable cause of the fire was a short circuit in a lift but the investigation into the cause was continuing.

Nationwide strikes in France against Sarkozy


Nearly 800-thousand French workers have taken part in nation-wide strikes. In Paris, protesters took to the streets, criticizing reforms planned by President Nicolas Sarkozy.  It was only two days after Sarkozy's party's stinging defeat in regional elections. The Socialists took 23 of France's 26 regions. The protesters include union members and workers. Unions say amid the weak economy, Sarkozy's conservative government hasn't offered satisfactory plans for jobs, salaries, purchasing power and working conditions.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

New day' in ties with Pakistan: Hilary Clinton


US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Pakistan is the front-line state in the US-led war against terrorism. She added that stability of the Pakistan is vital for the world. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in his address to the media prior to the strategic dialogues said Pakistan wants extensive assistance from the U.S. in economy and energy sectors, adding that Pakistan suffered losses worth billions of dollars due to its front-line role in war against terror. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on opened high-level talks with Pakistan, pledging that a “new day” had begun in the often fractious ties between the two nations. She praised Pakistan’s role in maintaining peace and security in South Asia and said that the dialogue process between the two nations will continue in future. She urged to enhance people-to-people understanding and confidence between the two nations, saying that the Pakistanis and Americans share the same dreams. Pakistan is expected to ask for extensive assistance in the areas of economy ever-growing water and energy crises.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

U.S. Sees Hope in Pakistan Requests for Help


Pakistan sent a 56-page document to the U.S. ahead of strategic talks scheduled for Wednesday, seeking expanded military and economic aid in what some American officials believe is an implicit offer to crack down in return on the Afghan Taliban. The previously undisclosed document includes requests ranging from U.S. help to alleviate Pakistan's chronic water and power shortages to pleas for surveillance aircraft and support in developing the country's civilian nuclear program. U.S. officials say the document and the talks surrounding it could help redefine one of America's thorniest foreign-policy relationships, if it leads to a serious Pakistani clampdown on the Taliban. The Taliban uses Pakistan, a U.S. ally, as its rear base in its fight against American and allied forces in neighboring Afghanistan, and has often relied on clandestine support from elements of Pakistan's national security establishment. But in the past few months, Pakistan has rounded up several senior leaders of the Afghan Taliban on its soil, and last year it began a series of offensives against the Pakistan offshoot of the Afghan movement. U.S. officials are keen to see those moves broadened as a key to shifting the momentum of the Afghan war. "Right now, we're looking at something that could deliver a big part of our success in Afghanistan," said a senior U.S. military official, speaking of the document and talks. The document outlines a range of aid Pakistan is seeking from the U.S., say American and Pakistani officials who have seen it or been briefed on its contents. A high-level meeting between senior Pakistani and U.S. officials in Washington on Wednesday aims to stitch together their fraying alliance. Many of Pakistan's requests build on longstanding demands for more U.S. assistance. But officials on both sides say that by detailing them in a single comprehensive document, Islamabad is trying to signal its willingness to align its interests with those of Washington, its vision for a partnership—and its price.

Karzai studying peace offer from militant group


Afghan President Hamid Karzai held an unprecedented meeting Monday with representatives of a major Taliban-linked militant group, boosting his outreach to insurgency leaders to end the eight-year war. Less certain is whether the talks with the weakened Hizb-i-Islami faction represent a game-changer in the conflict, given its demand to rewrite the Afghan constitution and force a quick exit of foreign forces. It is the first time that high-ranking representatives of the group, led by warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, have traveled to Kabul to discuss peace. The reconciliation offer from Hekmatyar contrasts with his reputation as a ruthless extremist. Hekmatyar's power has waned over the years and he commands far fewer fighters than the Taliban. Nevertheless, Hizb-i-Islami is very active in at least four provinces of eastern Afghanistan and parts of the north. His defection from the insurgency would be a coup for Karzai and could encourage some Taliban commanders to explore their own peace deals.

"Right to Build" in Jerusalem


Israel's prime minister has rejected US pressure over the expansion of Jewish settlements. Speaking to a pro-Israel lobby group in Washington DC on Monday, Binyamin Netanyahu said "Jerusalem is not a settlement" and Israel has the right to build there. "Everyone knows, everyone - Americans, Europeans, Israelis certainly, Palestinians - everyone knows that these neighbourhoods will be part of Israel in any peace settlement. "Therefore, building them in no way precludes the possibility of the two-state solution," he said. On a visit by Joe Biden, the US vice-president, to the Middle East this month, Israel announced that it would build 1,600 new housing units in Ramat Shlomo, a religious Jewish settlement in an area of the West Bank annexed by Israel to Jerusalem.

China anger at Google switch


Google's decision to shut down its internet search site for mainland China and stop censoring search results is "totally wrong" and represents a politicisation of business issues, China has said. In an immediate and sharply critical response to Google's announcement, China said the California-based internet giant had "violated the written promise" it made when it entered the Chinese market. "We firmly oppose politicising commercial issues, and express our dissatisfaction and anger at Google Inc's unreasonable accusations and practices," the state-run Xinhua news agency quoted an unnamed official from China's State Council Information Office as saying. The backlash followed an announcement from Google on Monday that it was shutting down its China-based site, Google.cn, and redirecting search requests to Google's Hong Kong-based portal, Google.com.hk.

Pakistan is celebrating its 70th 'Pakistan Day' with national fervor today (Tuesday) to commemorate the Lahore Resolution that was passed on March 23, 1940 in Lahore by the Muslim League under the leadership of the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. The day will dawn with 31 gun salute in Islamabad and 21 gun salutes in the provincial capitals. Prayers were offered in the mosques for the prosperity and progress of the country. Special programs are being held by public and private institutions throughout the country. It is a public day therefore all the government offices including banks and educational institutions will remain closed. 
According to information from a leaked roadmap of the next iteration of Windows Live Essentials, Windows Live Messenger Wave 4/2010 is up to Build 15.3.2649.311. Francisco Martín Garcia, Microsoft Active Professional 2010, Microsoft tester, has published the development process timeline of Windows Live Essentials Wave 4 indicating that the next version of the clients and services are moving along nicely. The current build of Windows Live Essentials Wave 4 had reached 15.3.2659.319 at the end of the past week, indicating that Microsoft is still in Milestone 3 stage. The Redmond company is expected to open more dogfood builds of Windows Live Essentials Wave 4 to a select number of testers on April 28th. Microsoft itself is, of course, dogfooding Wave 4, but so far has not made public any plans or delivery dates for development milestones. According to Garcia, Windows Live Essentials 2010 is planned to reach Milestone 3 on May 18th. It will be on June 3rd that Microsoft will offer the public the first details of Windows Live Wave 4, with the first Beta release, apparently scheduled for June 7th. 

Iranians train Taliban to kill Nato troops:British newspaper


A British newspaper claimed that hundreds of insurgents have been trained in Iran to kill Nato forces in Afghanistan. According to Sunday Times report, Taliban commanders have revealed that they had learnt to mount complex ambushes and lay improvised explosive devices, which have been responsible for most of the deaths of British troops in Helmand province. According to the commanders, Iranian officials paid them to attend three-month courses during the winter. They were smuggled across the border to the city of Zahidan, in southeast Iran.

Pakistan pushes US for nuclear technology deal


Pakistan wants the US to provide it with nuclear technology for a civilian energy programme and is to push the Obama administration this week for a deal. Islamabad seeks a civilian nuclear deal to mirror the package granted to India by George Bush, a proposal that would prove contentious in Washington, given Pakistan's uneven record on combating extremist groups and its sale of nuclear technology to states hostile to the west, led by the former head of its programme, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan. A spokesman for Pakistan's ministry of foreign affairs, Abdul Basit, said today: "Pakistan is an energy-deficit country and we're looking for all sources, including nuclear, to meeting our requirements." A team led by Pakistan's foreign minister that includes the country's army commander and spy chief is due to arrive in Washington on Wednesday for meetings with their US counterparts, including Hillary Clinton, the secretary of state, in an effort to relaunch dialogue between the two allies. Afghanistan and help for Pakistan's near-bankrupt economy will also be on the agenda. Many experts believe Pakistan holds the key to stabilising Afghanistan and it is trying to position itself as a sole conduit to talk to the Taliban. The US meetings, are designed to restart talks that were last held in 2008. Pakistan believes it has suffered from the violent fallout of US-led intervention in neighbouring Afghanistan and requires further assistance, despite a recent $7.5bn (£5bn) US aid injection. A civilian nuclear deal, which would provide technology and fuel for power plants, could be the carrot required for Pakistan to finally cut its ties to jihad groups. A variety of incentives since 2001, including military equipment and civilian aid, have not worked, say experts.

US passes landmark healthcare bill


The US House of Representatives has passed a landmark bill overhauling the country's healthcare system, finally pushing through the top item on Barack Obama's domestic agenda. The US president praised legislators for passing the reform bill late on Sunday, saying he knew it was not an easy vote but calling it "the right vote". "Today's vote answers the prayers of every American who has hoped deeply for something to be done about a system that works for insurance companies, but not for ordinary people," Obama said at the White House just before midnight. "It's a victory for the American people and it's a victory for common sense," he added.

Thailand: Anti-government protest enters into eighth day


The supporter of ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra continued their protest which entered into the eighth day. The United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), which is calling for snap elections, planned to camp out near the Government House for at least another two weeks. Thai red-shirts protesters vow to continue their protest in Bangkok calling for fresh elections, although their numbers have dwindled.

Sarkozy government faces reshuffle


The French president is expected to announce a cabinet shake-up after his centre-right party suffered a heavy defeat in regional elections over the weekend. Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Fillon, the prime minister, met in Paris on Monday to plan what one senior official described as a "technical reshuffle". The ruling UMP party took only 35.4 per cent of Sunday's vote, while the Socialist party and its allies won 54.1 per cent, preliminary results showed. Claude Gueant, Sarkozy's chief of staff, said the results were a "big wake-up call for quick and effective action" to tackle unemployment and other effects of the economic crisis".

15 die, 44 hurt in Colombia bus accident


Around 15 people have been killed and 44 others injured when a bus crashed into two other vehicles on a highway in central Colombia. The accident occurred in the municipality of Granada, in Cundinamarca Department, 30 kilometres to the south of Bogota. The highway, which connects the Colombian capital with the country's southeast, was closed after the accident.

US: Israel faces difficult choices


Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, has told America's pro-Israel lobby that the building of Israeli settlements in the occupied East Jerusalem and West Bank is preventing peace with the Palestinians. She made those remarks at the annual policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) in Washington DC on Monday, following diplomatic tensions between Washington and Israel. "New construction in East Jerusalem or the West Bank undermines mutual trust and endangers the proximity talks that are the first step toward the full negotiations that both sides want and need," Clinton said.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Pakistan's push for new role in Afghanistan


Afghanistan's punishing war is entering a new phase and Pakistan has made it clear it can and must play a leading role. The sudden significant capture of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, second in charge in the Taliban hierarchy, comes at a crucial point. Talk of negotiation is now taking centre stage, a strategy in parallel to a powerful military assault against Taliban strongholds in southern Afghanistan. "There has been a change in Pakistan's attitude," said Pakistani author Ahmed Rashid, who has written extensively about the close links between Pakistan's military intelligence, the ISI, and Taliban leaders. "Pakistan now wants to dominate any kind of dialogue that takes place." Mullah Baradar, reported to have been picked up by Pakistani and US intelligence agents in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, may have become too independent. Sources in Kabul say he and his envoys have been involved in secret talks with the Afghan president in Kabul, his representatives in southern Afghanistan and outside the country. One senior Afghan official who, like others, is not commenting publicly for now, said: "This may be good for public opinion but, for us, it can have a negative impact. "It was easier for us to talk to him." Unlike the Bush administration, Barack Obama's team has been urging Pakistan, privately and publicly, to take action against the Taliban leadership and their sanctuaries in the tribal areas, as well as in cities like Quetta and Karachi.

Iraq election commission rejects calls for vote recount


Iraq's election commission has rejected calls from the president and prime minister for a recount of votes cast in the general election on 7 March. An election official said a recount of all votes would be impossible and was unnecessary because of checks on fraud. Earlier, President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nouri Maliki backed calls for a manual recount of votes. Partial results indicate a close race between Mr Maliki and former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. But the long delay in announcing the full results has led to growing allegations of fraud.

US House to vote on health care reform bill


The US House of Representatives Sunday would vote to overhaul health care system. During an address in this regard in Washington, Obama urged the US lawmakers to vote for the people for America. The President urged that it is time to pass the bill, which has seen decades of false starts and a year of tough negotiations. The a package of reforms is aimed at imposing new controls on the practices of insurance companies and extending coverage to more than 30 million Americans who lack health insurance. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a non-partisan arbiter of legislative costs, last week estimated that the reforms will cost 940 billion dollars over 10 years and expand coverage to about 32 million more Americans. The costs will be offset by a mix of new taxes and savings from within the system. The CBO predicted the entire bill would actually lower the federal budget deficit by 138 billion dollars over the next 10 years, and by 1 trillion dollars in the following decade.

Air strikes kill 15 Taliban in Pakistan: officials


Air strikes killed 15 Taliban in restive Pakistani northwestern tribal areas on Sunday, where militants beheaded three tribesmen accusing them of spying for the United States. Pakistan's rugged tribal regions have been wracked by violence since becoming a stronghold for hundreds of Taliban and Al-Qaeda rebels who fled across the border to escape the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001. Separately, a bomb targeting a senior police official killed three people in southwestern Baluchistan province and another bomb damaged an oil tanker carrying fuel for NATO forces stationed in neighbouring Afghanistan. Five of the militants were killed in air strikes on a village in Orakzai tribal district, where militants fleeing a military operation in South Waziristan tribal district have taken refuge. "Two jet fighters carried out air strikes at a militant hideout at Ghiljo. Five militants were killed," a senior paramilitary official told AFP. In a second air strike in Kurram, another tribal district, 10 militants were killed, the official and local administration chief Fazal Qadir said. The death toll could not be verified by independent sources as the area is under military operations. In North Waziristan, another tribal district and known as a hot bed of Taliban, militants Sunday beheaded three tribesmen they accused of spying for US forces stationed across the border in Afghanistan.

Dialogue offer to Iran still intact: Obama


US President Barack Obama reaffirmed on Saturday that his administration would pursue dialogue with Iran over its nuclear issue. ‘Our offer of comprehensive diplomatic contacts and dialogue (with Iran)stands’, said Obama in a videotaped address to Iranians to mark an ancient Iranian festival celebrating Nauroz. However, he warned that the US government is working with the international community to ‘hold the Iranian government accountable because they refuse to live up to their international obligations’, according to excerpts of the address released by the White House. Obama also noted that the Iranian should have free access to the internet, adding that the US would continue to give them the new technology of software and IT to enable them get in touch with the international community.

'Shaming' her in-laws costs 19 year old her nose, ears


"When they cut off my nose and ears, I passed out," 19-year-old Bibi Aisha of Afghanistan says with chilling candor. Her beauty is still stunning and her confidence inspiring. It takes a moment for the barbaric act committed against her to register in your mind and sight. Wearing her patterned scarf and with roughly painted nails she shares her story. "It felt like there was cold water in my nose, I opened my eyes and I couldn't even see because of all the blood," she remembers. It was an act of Taliban justice for the crime of shaming her husband's family. This story began when Aisha was just 8 years old. Her father had promised her hand in marriage, along with that of her baby sister's, to another family in a practice called "baad." "Baad" in Pashtunwali, the law of the Pashtuns, is a way to settle a dispute between rival families. At 16, she was handed over to her husband's father and 10 brothers, who she claims were all members of the Taliban in Oruzgan province. Aisha didn't even meet her husband because he was off fighting in Pakistan.

Making the Iraq war disappear


The American media loves anniversaries of major events because these provide the ideal news pegs to do follow-up stories. You would think that they would have pulled out the stops for the seventh anniversary of the US war on Iraq, a conflict that was described by the Pentagon in its first days as a "cake walk" and designed as a quick intervention modelled after the in-and-out combat of Operation Desert Storm ending Baghdad's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. However, not only did US plans not work out that way, but the news commitment faded and, in the process - as one would expect - so did public attention. The networks went from 'all the war, all the time,' to withdrawing troops long before the military did.  As a result, the situation was uniformly described as "quiet" with no real assessment offered on the costs, casualties and consequences of what just about everyone considers a botched and failed mission. This has been a war which Washington still seems unable to end despite the campaign promises of a new president.

What next for Pakistan cricket?


The Pakistan Cricket Board has dropped a bombshell: Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik, and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan have been banned. While Yousuf and Younis have been banned indefinitely for causing in-fighting, Malik and Naved will only be eligible to play for Pakistan after a year. Meanwhile, Shahid Afridi’s ball-biting antics have landed him a six-month probation and a three-million-rupee fine. Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal have also been fined three million and two million rupees, respectively, for theirtantrum-throwing and injury-feigning episodes during the Australia tour.

Cellphone-operated tractor invented in India


Two students of India's northern Punjab invented a tractor that can be operated with the help of a mobile phone. Pavittar Singh Baraad, one of the inventors, said the tractor could be operated with mobile buttons from anywhere. "With the help of this project, one need not drive a tractor, as the tractor can be operated with the help of the buttons of our mobiles. No matter one is in United States or Canada, the tractor can be operated with the buttons. The steering, clutch, brakes, everything can be controlled through it," said Baraad. Mentioning its advantages, Jaskeer Singh, a farmer, said that the tractor would help the farmers of Punjab as they would be able to operate the tractors from anywhere. This innovative step shall help the farmers to a great extent and will also save their time and effort.

Israeli fire kills Palestinian teen



Israeli forces have killed a Palestinian teenager during violent clashes in the occupied West Bank, medics have said. Muhammad Qadus had been taking part in a demonstration on Saturday, in which stones were thrown at Israeli soldiers in the West Bank city of Nablus. Palestinian hospital officials said the 16-year-old was struck in the heart by a bullet fired by Israeli forces. Qadus was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at a local hospital. Medical sources said that the Red Crescent ambulance sent to collect him was delayed by Israeli forces.

Taliban arrests had 'negative impact'


The arrest of Taliban leaders has had a "negative impact" on efforts by the Afghan government to broker a peace deal with the insurgents, a spokesman for President Hamid Karzai says. Recent arrests in Pakistan of the Taliban's second-in-command, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, and others in the Islamists' hierarchy slowed down Afghan government peace initiatives, Siamak Hirawi told AFP on Saturday. "We confirm the negative impact of the arrests on the peace process that the Afghan government has initiated," said Hirawi, Karzai's deputy spokesman. His was the first official confirmation from the Kabul government that there had been contact with the Taliban, with the intention of discussing an end to the insurgency now in its ninth year. He also confirmed that the former UN envoy to Afghanistan, Kai Eide, had held peace talks with Taliban figures and said Eide had kept the Afghan government informed of his actions. Hirawi said Eide's talks with the Taliban were part of a process initiated by the UN to help the Afghan government's peace plan. "Of course, he was keeping the Afghan government informed of his talks," he said. "Mr Kai Eide's efforts were a supplement to Afghan government's (peace) efforts," he said, adding that Karzai's government has led the process. "The Afghan government has been leading this process and the United Nations has tried to help efforts to solve the Afghan problem through talks, and the international community has also agreed with us," he said. "The international community has agreed with us that those Afghans who are not linked to foreign intelligence or terrorist organisations (can be part of the peace process)," he added, in an apparent reference to Pakistan and al-Qaeda.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

General Kayani - A Musharraf in the making?


General Ashfaq Kayani, the chief of staff of the Pakistan Army, is much in the news these days. Senior foreign diplomatic officials make it a point to consult with him when in Islamabad. He has just renewed the term of the ISI chief, Shuja Pasha, and he has recently commented at length on Pakistan’s role and interests in Afghanistan. His presence in the political limelight is nothing short of intriguing. After all, Pakistan has a legitimately elected government and is ostensibly a functioning democracy. More to the point, barely a year ago, a host of commentators had blithely argued that he would prove to be the model for an apolitical general.  Alas, those hopes and expectations have been sadly belied. Even as early as December 2008, his clout was evident. In the wake of the horrific Lashkar-e-Taiba spearheaded attack on Mumbai, President Asif Ali Zardari had offered to send the ISI chief to New Delhi for discussions about the attack. Within hours, however, Army Headquarters countermanded Zardari and the trip was called off. Since then the putatively apolitical general has become steadily more visible in the political arena. To any informed observer of Pakistan his increasingly public role in the country’s politics should come as no surprise. Since the first coup under self-styled Field Marshal Mohammed Ayub Khan, the country has established a rather lopsided pattern of civil-military relations. Even when civilian governments assumed power they lived under the long shadow of the military. Only in the aftermath of the disastrous 1971 war when the military establishment was justly discredited, thanks to their ineptitude and brutality in East Pakistan, did they recede to the barracks to briefly lick their wounds. Such an interregnum, of course, was shortlived . Thanks to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s feckless ways the military again reasserted itself under General Zia-ul-Haq , and Bhutto was sent to the gallows.  During Zia’s regime the accretion of military power was nothing short of breathtaking. Thanks to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Pakistan assumed the status of a "front-line" state and played a pivotal role in supplying the mujahideen with American military and logistical assistance. Sadly, the Ronald Reagan administration in its relentless and justifiable quest to dislodge the Soviets from Afghanistan ignored the many unsavoury aspects of Zia’s regime. Lavished with American economic and military largesse and free of any external pressures for domestic restraint, Zia expanded the reach and scope of the military across Pakistan’s state and society. The military’s tentacles spread from running municipal functions to heading up educational institutions.  Even when Zia died in a mysterious plane crash and democracy was restored, the military did not relinquish its political role altogether. Along with a very powerful presidency it remained one of the key pillars of power in Pakistan. The end of the Nawaz Sharif regime and General Pervez Musharraf’s ascent to power saw a further diminution of civilian authority in the country and the commensurate expansion of military power. Once again, as during the Afghan war years, the Bush administration proved to be quite indulgent of the Pakistani military’s expansion of its domestic role. The exigencies of relying on Pakistan to overthrow the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and to pursue al-Qaida in the region proved to be of far greater significance than nudging Musharraf to cede political authority.  Is the Pakistani state then doomed to this tragic and desultory cycle of periodic transitions to democracy and then a return to military rule? The forces of path dependence, as institutional economists have explained, will probably rule the day. The early choice of institutional pathways set states on particular courses which are extremely difficult to radically alter. Consequently, in the absence of concerted and sustained external pressures for fundamental and structural reforms, there is little reason to believe that the bloated military establishment will, of its own accord, shrink its role in Pakistan’s politics and society.  Given this infelicitous past, General Kayani’s increasing assertiveness is entirely unsurprising. In the wake of the London conference which gave Pakistan a disproportionate role in shaping Afghanistan’s future, the Pakistani military apparatus believes that it enjoys the imprimatur of the international community to play a more overt role in shaping Pakistan’s critical foreign and security policy choices. Quite frankly, all that has really changed is that it no longer feels it must quietly manipulate its civilian marionettes from the shadows. Now General Kayani and his associates can stand tall and determine the moves of their pliant charges with the skill of master ventriloquists and puppeteers.